Mysterious disappearing fruit

Twice now, two separate years, two separate places, two different types of fruit trees...I’ve had a pear tree and a peach tree have lots of hanging fruit that was ripe or a little after, and then magically the fruit is gone.

Like a magic trick, nothing on the ground and pretty much nothing left in the tree.

Has anyone else had this happen?  Maybe birds?  But do they carry off fruit like pears? One location is in town and one is at our farm.

It’s weird and wondered if anyone else has had this happen.

Where are you located? Who are your usual suspects in the fruit thievery department?

If you were at my place I'd say possums, then rosellas, followed by kereru (wood pigeons). Each of these tends to leave some sort of evidence, though. Possums break branches, rosellas rarely consume a whole fruit, and kereru leave all sorts of bits on the ground.

Pear tree is in town, suburb but small town, peach tree was at the farm.  So plenty of critters at the farm, not so many in town. But we have provided a lot of habitat in our yard (1.3 acres) so maybe raccoon?  

Both trees had an abundance of fruit and then nothing.  I thought maybe someone took the fruit at the house but the farm is off the beaten path

I’m in the US in Kentucky by Louisville

Sounds raccoonish to me. They like to take their food somewhere that they can wash it, don't they?

Humans?

Oh, I see, after reading more carefully, that you've already considered that possibility.

Still, in Kentucky, there are people that roam through looking for ginseng, etc.

I have had this experience and have been searching for any explanation, and have now only heard of you in Kentucky, having what sounds to be the same phenomenon.  As you have ruled out every possibility, there is no rhyme or reason for the fruit simply vanishing overnight.   The fruit was abundant all over the trees, apple trees, and a pear tree, were simply naked.  No fruit on the ground, no person or many people could not have occupied our property to strip the trees without us knowing.  Nothing is close to the trees for any animal to get into the tree other to climb.  Birds only peck at the fruit, they don't fly off with it.  

We live in Western Washington (State) on 11 acres, lake front property.  All the trees are fairly close to the home within a 50 yard radius visible to us from the home.  There is no answer from what I'm finding.  I do believe there are many daunting, teasing, taunting, persistent, and ever-present spirits that are dwell on this property, unknowing if this was an American Indian burial ground or something else that may have happened here, but it wouldn't be surprising if this is a haunting of some sort.  I have gone as far as smudging, blessing. and praying over this home and property close to the house itself, not the parameter of the 11 acres.  We've got so many other things that are much more harmful and violent that have happened to us, though the missing fruit is something I feel may help me get some sort of logic to work with.  

Still seeking answers.  

If the fruit's not too large, have you considered squirrels? They can clear a tree pretty fast if there's not a lot else to eat.

Jay - that's definitely what happens on my property, although it's primarily ground squirrels. They can easily clean a tree in a night. Cats are my best solution.

I have a pear tree that this happens with. I'll see ripening fruit and then the next day, nothing. No traces of a critter feast. But I still think it's critters. I imagine the better climbers like raccoons go up in the night and eat their fill, probably knocking down and dropping lots and making a mess. Then the possums, foxes and coyotes eat what's left on the ground. If there's still stuff closer to dawn, maybe squirrels, groundhogs and deer clean up any left overs. I could be wrong. I'm not very good at tracking, but something like this seems like a totally probable explanation to me.

Lois Love wrote:I have had this experience and have been searching for any explanation, and have now only heard of you in Kentucky, having what sounds to be the same phenomenon.  As you have ruled out every possibility, there is no rhyme or reason for the fruit simply vanishing overnight.   The fruit was abundant all over the trees, apple trees, and a pear tree, were simply naked.  No fruit on the ground, no person or many people could not have occupied our property to strip the trees without us knowing.  Nothing is close to the trees for any animal to get into the tree other to climb.  Birds only peck at the fruit, they don't fly off with it.  

We live in Western Washington (State) on 11 acres, lake front property.  All the trees are fairly close to the home within a 50 yard radius visible to us from the home.  There is no answer from what I'm finding.  I do believe there are many daunting, teasing, taunting, persistent, and ever-present spirits that are dwell on this property, unknowing if this was an American Indian burial ground or something else that may have happened here, but it wouldn't be surprising if this is a haunting of some sort.  I have gone as far as smudging, blessing. and praying over this home and property close to the house itself, not the parameter of the 11 acres.  We've got so many other things that are much more harmful and violent that have happened to us, though the missing fruit is something I feel may help me get some sort of logic to work with.  

Still seeking answers.

Welcome to Permies, Lois! That sounds frustrating and unsettling to not know the cause. Have you considered a trail camera(s) near the trees around the time fruit is ripening? I wonder if that could provide some answers and a little peace of mind. Plus frankly, it's just fun to see what other creatures we share space with but who might be too afraid of us to show up when we're around. Our yard is fairly small and I'm always amazed at the amount of animal activity that occurs around here at night, even super close to the house. With you being so close to a lake, I imagine there is probably even more wildlife around.

San Antonio Tx, 2024 This just happened and I’m going crazy wondering where all my peaches are. Last night I ate a peach from my tree which had fruit all the way to the top branch, since it was late at night i thought to collect them in the morning since there are spiders and wasp in between the branches. When the morning comes no peaches on the tree, not on the floor, not on the sidewalk. Not a single fruit. My tree is on the front of my house but there is a tall fence so there is no way to get in so easily. No branches stick to the neighbors side or the sidewalk. We do have some raccoons and possums but when they eat the fruit they usually leave broken branches or fruit on the floor or half eaten fruit. They have never taken large amounts either. I went to sleep around 1:00am and woke up at 5:00am so that was the time frame where they had to disappear. I don’t sleep with ac or fan so I was supposed to hear if there was a loud sound of someone jumping over the fence or something. Also my window is right in front of the tree so it would be very risky to do that so the only thing that comes to mind is that a very large family of raccoons took every single one of the peaches even the ones on the top branches and whatever had to be on the floor.

wow, I am so sorry to hear that this happened to you.  I remember reading another thread here on the forum where this same mystery happened.  If I remember correctly folks felt it was possums or raccons.

I suspect the elves came really early while all the lights were off and very quietly climbed the fence or opened the gate.

They also brought ladders to climb into the tree.

Next year get a big net that can completely cover the tree, an alarm and a game cam ...

About a month ago my friend was having trouble with green unripe peaches disappearing from his tree during the night. He set up a game camera and discovered that a mother porcupine and her baby were coming in at 1:00 am and eating the green fruit. Motion lights failed to deter them. He ended giving them both 22 caliber "pills" and tossed them over the rim of the canyon.
Now the ripe peaches are attracting raccoons but the motion light scares them off.

Austin, TX  

Sadly I've felt that shocked empty feeling three times.  

About eight years ago I lost all of my peaches and pears.  I couldn't believe every single fruit disappeared overnight without a trace.

I had planted a peach and a pear near my sidewalk. I thought kids walking home might like to pick a fruit for an after school snack.  I was upset that someone could be so selfish.

Then, two years later it happened again.  I had to believe it was small animals.  Nothing was left on the tree or ground there was no damage to the pear tree.  Peach borers had killed my wonderful peach tree.

This year was the third time.  All of the fruit from the front yard pear and two backyard pears and from young tiny peach trees disappeared.
Whatever is taking the fruit must not like ping pong size plums.  The ground and I had plenty to share.
Maybe next year the birds will allow me to have a few more figs.

Not so much of a mystery for us, but starlings will flock on our grapevine and empty it overnight while still green.

It wasn't a problem for several years, but now we've lost our entire crop three years in a row. We tried netting, but it's in an awkward place (climbing up the brick wall and unto a balcony) so we can't make it sufficiently tight to prevent a motivated bird getting in.

I'm thinking about sacrificing next year's crop (cutting all the fruit when they form) so hopefully they forget that there's a steady source of food there. Has anyone had success with that strategy?

Otherwise, what would be our option? I suspect motion-activated water spray deterrents might not be sensitive enough for birds, and be annoying as hell for us.

Kena Landry wrote: Otherwise, what would be our option?

You could use clamshells (the ones you purchase strawberries in). You simply cover the fruit and snap the clamshell shut over the branch (so if the fruit falls, it stays in the clamshell as the clamshell is held up by the branch).

Works well for:
Groundcherries (voles love them, when the groundcherries drop, they are protected by the shell)
Strawberries (protection from voles, you take it off once the strawberry is ripe and put it around the next batch of ripening strawberries)
Grapes (protection from birds)
Apples/pears (protection from squirrels)

The only one where the critters have had success to eat the fruit was with pawpaws. My assumption is that the fruit was just too sweet to ignore, so they ripped open the clamshells. Adding tape around the clamshell protected the remainder of the pawpaws.

It is hard to do it for a full orchard, but if you want to protect some fruit you would love to taste, it is worth it.

M